System for controlling a computing scale

ABSTRACT

A controlling system for a computing scale. The system has a circulating register formed in a series having desired figure of desired bits. An input signal selecting and changing circuit is connected to the circulating register, and a decimal adding circuit is connected to the input signal selecting and changing circuit. The circulating register, input signal selecting and changing circuit and decimal adding circuit form an amount cost counting means which is operated according to input signals of weight and unit cost. The circulating register has an intermediate terminal at a predetermined position thereof, a zero weight discriminating circuit and a weight subtraction discriminating circuit which are connected to the intermediate terminal of the circulating register. A weight and packing discriminating circuit and a displaying means are provided, the operation of the weight and packing discriminating circuit being changed correspondingly to output signals from the zero weight discriminating circuit and from the weight subtraction discriminating circuit. The contents thereof are memorized in the circulating shift register. A calculating operation of the cost is performed within the circulating shift register synchronized with a timing pulse by the amount cost counting means, and the contents of a certain range of the circulating shift register are displayed by the displaying means.

ilted States Patent 1- Hino et a1.

[ SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A QOMPUTHNG SCALE inventors: Masamichi l-lino;Twao 11am, both of Osaka, Japan Assignee: Kubota Telrlto Kabushiki rtfiqbsi attt tbqs twaizqm med.

I Primary Examiner-Malcolm A. Morrison Assistant ExaminerEdward .1. WiseAttorney-E. F. Wenderoth et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A controlling system for a computing scale. The systemhas a circulating register formed in a series having [451 Oct. 30, 973

desired figure of desired bits. An input signal selecting and changingcircuit is connected to the circulating register, and a decimal addingcircuit is connected to the input signal selecting and changing circuit.The circulating register, input signal selecting and changing circuitand decimal adding circuit form an amount cost counting means which isoperated according to input signals of weight and unit cost. Thecirculating register has an intermediate terminal at a predeterminedposition thereof, a zero weight discriminating circuit and a weightsubtraction discriminating circuit which are connected to theintermediate terminal of the circulating register. A weight and packingdiscriminating circuit and a displaying means are provided, theoperation of the weight and packing discriminating circuit being changedcorrespondingly to output signals from the zero weight discriminatingcircuit and from the weight subtraction discriminating circuit. Thecontents thereof are memorized in the circulating shift register. Acalculating operation of the cost is performed within the circulatingshift register synchronized with a timing pulse by the amount costcountingmeans, and the contents of a certain range of the circulatingshift register are displayed by the displaying means.

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ESWfilSHlQ) asmsl asusa PAIENIEU 001301915 SHEET 98F 9 SYSTEM FORCONTROLLING A COMPUTING SCALE This invention relates to a system forcontrolling a computing scale which is used to weight of materials whenselling those materials and at the same time which multiplies themeasured weight of the material by aunit cost per unit weight of thatmaterialand displays the total cost of that material.

in the computing scale as described above, two input signals areprovided thereto at voluntary time, i.e., an input signal correspondingto the weight of the material and a signal corresponding to a cost perunit weight of that material (unit cost), and it is always necessary toarrive at a correct total cost of the material according to those twoinput signals and to display instantly the unit cost, the weight and thetotal cost.

The object of the present invention is to provide a control system for acomputing scale which carries out multiplication of a weight and a unitcost, which are always changeable, by using one circulating register andwhich displays correct values on a means such as a numerical displaytube.

Such an object can be accomplished by means of various circuitconfigurations which compose the system of the invention. One embodimentof the invention will now be described in the following detaileddescription of the invention taken together with the accompanyingdrawings.

The system of the invention comprises a circulating register formed in aseries with necessary bits and figures, an input signal selectingand'switching circuit connected to said register, a decimal addingcircuit connected to said circuit, said register and said two cir--cuits forming a total cost counting means which is operated according toinput signals of a weight and a unit cost, a zero-weight discriminatingcircuit for discriminating zero weight, a subtraction discriminatingcircuit for discriminating subtraction of the weight, said twodiscriminating circuits being connected to a certain po- Sition of saidregister, another discriminating circuit for discriminating the netweight and the tare, and a displaying means, wherein the net weight andtare are se-.

lected by said net weight and tare discriminating circuitcorrespondingly to discriminated signals from said zero-discriminatingcircuit and said subtraction discriminating circuit, and the total costis counted by said total cost counting means, and then the contents of acertain range of said register are displayed by said displaying means.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a controlling system according to theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a flow-chart for explaining the operation of the system ofFIG. 11.

FIG. 3 shows the construction of a shift register used in the system ofFIG. 1.

FIGS. 4-4 to 4-7 show an example of a practical circuit diagram of thesystem of the invention.

Referring to FIG. l, the reference numeral 11 designates a shiftregister of 44 bitsin which one figure is formed by 4 bits. Numeral 12is a 32 bit shift register and 13 is a 4 bit shift register. These threeshift registers ll, 12 and 13 form a series shift register 14 consistingof the parts corresponding to the weight, unit cost, total cost andcalculation memory, as shown in FIG. 3. An input signal switchingcircuit 15 controls the switching of each input signal to the shiftregister 14. Circuits 16 is a decimal adding circuit.

A circulating calculation means is formed by these shift registers, theinput signal switching circuit and the decimal adding circuit. Anintermediate terminal for providing an intermediate output signal isarranged at the rear of the 44 bit register of the shift register 14,and there are connected thereto a zero weight discriminating circuit l7which controls addition and subtraction of the weight input signal anddiscriminates the net weight from the tare, and a zero weightsubtraction discriminating circuit 18 which counts the total cost. Thesetwo discriminating circuits are connected respectively to a circuit 19for controlling addition and subtraction of the weight, which isconnected to a net weight and tare discriminating circuit 20, and adiscriminating circuit 21 for controlling the input signal switchingcircuit 15. A detecting means 22 converts the amount of movement of aweighing means of the computing scale into an electric signal, andcomprises, for example, a photoconductive element. A

When the computing scale comprises for example, a pendulm type balance,the movement of the pendulum is converted into an electric signal byirradiating a fixed slit plate with light through a graduated platemeans provided with an alternating bright and dark stripe pattern andwhich is fixed to the pendulum so as to pass the light intermittentlythrough the slit plate and by then detecting the intermittent light. Apair of detecting means are provided with the graduated plate and slitplate and these are arranged with a certain difference of phasetherebetween so that different output signals are provided from thedetector means 22 accord ing to the direction of movement of thependulum. This makes it possible to discriminate the positive andnegative polarities of the signals. Further, because the signal from thedetecting means 22 is in sine wave, it is formed into a pulse wave by apulse forming circuit 23. A base controlling circuit 25 and a timingsignal generating circuit 26 are connected to the discriminating circuit21, and a display means 24 comprising a numerical display tube isconnected to the register 13. FIGS. 4-4 to 4-7 show practical examplesof each circuit described hereinbefore.

In the following, the controlling operation of the system of theinvention will be described. When a material to be weighed and countedis loaded on a loading pan, indication of which is omitted in thedrawings, of the computing scale, the pendulum of the scale rotates andthe amount of rotation thereof is detected and converted into anelectric signal by the detecting means 22. The electric signal is formedinto a pulse signal by the pulse forming circuit 23 and is provided tothe weight addition and subtraction controlling circuit 19. When thematerial to be weighed is loaded on the scale, the pendulum oscillatesseveral times, and with the gradual attenuation of amplitude thereof itstops at a position balanced with the weight of the material. Therefore,the detecting means 22 generates positive and negative signals, and theyare provided to the weight addition and subtraction controlling circuit19 from the wave forming circuit 23 as an addition signal and asubtraction signal, respectively. At this time, the weightdiscriminating circuit 17 discriminates that the weight content of theregister 14 is zero or not. When that weight content of the register 14is zero and the weight input signal is the addition signal, the weightand tare 3 discriminating circuit 20 is changed to the weight, andaddition of the weight content andthe input signal is operated throughthe input signal switching circuitand the result is memorized at theweight position of the shift register 14. When the zero weightdiscriminating circuit 17 indicates zero content of the register 14 andthe weight input signal is the subtracton signal, the weight and tarediscriminating circuit is changed to the tare and subtraction isperformed through the input signal switching circuit 15. Therefore, theregister memorizes the subtracted weight.

If the zero weight discriminating circuit 17 does not indicate zero andthe weight or tare discriminating circuit 20 shows the tare conditiomtheinput signal provided as the addition signal is'subtracted from theweight content in the register, and the input signal provided as thesubtraction signal is added to the content in the register, since theactual weight of the tare has been memorized in the register.

If the zero weight discriminating circuit 17 does not indicate the zeroweight and the weight or tare discriminating circuit 20 shows the weightcondition, the input signal provided as the addition signal is added tothe weight content, and the'input signal provided as the subtractionsignal is subtracted from the content. The result of the abovecalculation is memorized, as shown in FIG. 3, in the weight position ofthe shift register 14.

The cost per unit weight of the material to be weighed (i.e. unit cost)is set by the ten-key switches of the unit cost setting circuit 27. Theunit cost is provided I once to the 4-bit shift register 13 by pushingthe key and is put in the register subsequently through the inputsignalswitching circuit 15 and the decimal adding circuit l6.

The calculating operation of the total cost is described according tothe flow-chart shown in FIG. 2. The operation is divided into eightsteps by the master control circuit shown in FIG. 1. Initially, theweight content of the register is discriminated to be zero or not, andif not zero the weight is set to section UA of the register M shown inFIG. 3 (i.e., the contents at the third to sixth figures of the register14 is set at the 16th to 19th figures thereof).

During the first step, the content of the subtracted weight in theregister is discriminated to be zero or not. When the content of theweight subtraction memorized at the 16th and 19th figure is not zero, atthe second to fifthsteps the unit cost stored at the zero to the secondfigures of the register 14 is added to the content of section LA, i.e.12th to 15th figures of the register 14. Accordingly, when the contentof the weight subtraction memory becomes zero when repeating the aboveoperation, the content of the LA section of the register 14 becomes thetotal cost, and it is shifted to the total cost memorizing section inthe seventh to 1 1th figures of the register M. Then, an operation ofone period is performed, and the values calculated continuouslyrepeatedly are displayed by the displaying means 24.

In order to function adequately as a computing scale,

the calculating operation must be performed at a speed that can followthe changes in the weight input and the unit cost input, and for thispurpose the timing pulse generating circuit 26 shown in FIG. 1 isprovided.

According to the present invention, the serial register 14 is formed asdescribed hereinbefore and the contents thereof are circulated so as toperform the necessary calculating operation in the register 14-, so thatother registers are not necessaryfor the other part of the system.Accordingly, the system can be very simply constructed and so productionthereof can be also simplified.

We claim:

1. In a control system for a computing scale:

a. a counting means for the totalcost of an article by use of the inputweight and unit price, said count ing means including a serialcirculating register divided into three input portions for the unitprice, the weight and the total price, a transfer portion for the weightof an adding portion for the unit price; said counting means furtherincluding a switching circuit for selecting either the circulatingoperation of said register, an input operation for weight addition orweight subtraction, an input operation for setting the unit price, ashift operation of the register and a clearance operation of theregister; and a decimal adder connected to the output of said switchingcircuit; I

b. said register having an intermediate terminal, and

c. a zero weight discriminator connected to said intermediate terminalfor discriminating whether the weight contents at the predeterminedportion in said register is zero;

d. a circuit for discriminating between a weight and tare conditionbased on the logic of the zero weight discriminator and the condition ofthe input weight; and I e. a display means for displaying apredetermined range of said register.

2.-A control system as claimed in claim I wherein means are provided forsupplying two outputs having a certain phase difference from signalsdetected by a pair of detectors through dark and light striped patternsprovided on a pendulum of said computing scale, and a means for formingweight pulses synchronously with timing pulses from a master controlcircuit, said weight pulses corresponding to the number of stripes whichmove relative to the pendulum.

3. A control system as claimed in claim I wherein means are provided forelectronically memorizing a condition of weight or tare depending on theconditions where addition signals or subtraction signals are suppliedwhen the content of the register is zero.

4. A control system as claimed in claim I wherein a means is providedfor repeatedly and circulatingly calculating a total price, said meansbeing adapted to follow the variation of weight before the balancing ofthe scale when the scale is loaded with an article.

1. In a control system for a computing scale: a. a counting means forthe total cost of an article by use of the input weight and unit price,said counting means including a serial circulating register divided intothree input portions for the unit price, the weight and the total price,a transfer portion for the weight of an adding portion for the unitprice; said counting means further including a switching circuit forselecting either the circulating operation of said register, an inputoperation for weight addition or weight subtraction, an input operationfor setting the unit price, a shift operation of the register and aclearance operation of the register; and a decimal adder connected tothe output of said switching circuit; b. said register having anintermediate terminal, and c. a zero weight discriminator connected tosaid intermediate terminal for discriminating whether the weightcontents at the predetermined portion in said register is zero; d. acircuit for discriminating between a weight and tare condition based onthe logic of the zero weight discriminator and the condition of theinput weight; and e. a display means for displaying a predeterminedrange of said register.
 2. A control system as claimed in claim 1wherein means are provided for supplying two outputs having a certainphase difference from signals detected by a pair of detectors throughdark and light striped patterns provided on a pendulum of said computingscale, and a means for forming weight pulses synchronously with timingpulses from a master control circuit, said weight pulses correspondingto the number of stripes which move relative to the pendulum.
 3. Acontrol system as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided forelectronically memorizing a condition of weight or tare depending on theconditions where addition signals or subtraction signals are suppliedwhen the content of the register is zero.
 4. A control system as claimedin claim 1 wherein a means is provided for repeatedly and circulatinglycalculating a total price, said means being adapted to follow thevariation of weight before the balancing of the scale when the scale isloaded with an article.